


(LIAR, LIAR)

by liamneeson



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College AU, F/M, fake dating au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 10:06:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16385912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liamneeson/pseuds/liamneeson
Summary: Shiro and Allura have a one night stand, and to spare his mother's feelings, they pretend to be in a relationship.





	(LIAR, LIAR)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been trying to write this thing for 3 months, and as a result, it's disjointed and inconsistent. Do I hate it? Not really. It developed its own feelings (but not too angsty), but it resolves itself. I'm okay with that.

 

"Okay, I  _ really  _ have to go."

Allura slapped a hand against Shiro's thigh so he would get the idea and get it off her. When she was free, she rolled out from under him, and quickly began to find her clothes from the mess they made the last night. 

She had a full morning of lectures and an afternoon lab, and she was looking forward to looking back on her eventful night. She’d met Shiro at a bar in the university town last night, and in an uncharacteristic show of spontaneity, went home with him two drinks in and barely ten minutes of conversation after. God, he was gorgeous, all broad shoulders, dashing grin and quiet confidence. Spending the night with him had been one of her best decisions since she emigrated to the States two years ago. Admittedly, she’d been living too prim and proper with her law books and debate club speeches, and Lord, she really needed that last night to know that she could still have a good time every once in a while.

She had her underwear back on when she glanced at the smug man watching her from the bed. "You look pretty pleased with yourself."

"It’s because your hair is such a mess," Shiro said.

"I wonder how it got that way." Allura shot back. She picked up her trousers and stepped into it. Her gaze turned wary when she heard Shiro's bed squeak and saw him getting up. She put her blouse on, and hoped she didn't look so defensive. It wasn't that she thought him a mistake. She just had a class in exactly eighteen minutes, and it was thanks to him that she now had to sprint three blocks to the next bus to campus in the hopes of making her notoriously crabby professor's attendance roll call. 

Shiro, naked but for those odd, chunky bracelets she’d been too busy to ask about, cornered her against the dresser, his body flush against her fully clothed one. His leg slid between her thighs, and a hand slithered up her belly so it could cup her breast and swipe a thumb across her nipple. "Need a reminder?"

Allura willed her pulse to even out. "Stay back, demon. Your last ‘reminder’ cost me precious showering time, and now I have to go to class smelling like hedonism and you."

Shiro stuffed his face against her neck. "You smell fine to me. Delicious, actually." He proved it by running the tip of his tongue down the line of her neck.

Now, Allura laughed. He was doing it again! She would not be tempted. Not when Dr. Haggar’s face of disapproval was forefront in her mind. "You have seduced me for the last time, harlot. Now, shoo. I want a decent grade."

"You better not be serious about that being the last time." Dutifully backing away to pick up his discarded boxers, Shiro gave her his best imploring expression. "I'd like to see you again."

Allura simpered as she reached for the bedroom's doorknob. "You have my number, loverboy."

"And I intend to text it." Satisfied with the boxer's coverage, Shiro followed her out the door. "Let me walk you out."

"Such a gentleman." Allura remarked.

Before he could reply, he bumped into Allura, who was suddenly frozen in fear. When Shiro saw where her cornered prey gaze pointed out, he felt his blood go cold.

"Mom?" he squawked.

"You live with your mother?" Allura hissed under her breath. She hadn’t exactly checked for other occupants of the apartment last night. They were too desperate to get to the bed.

"I came to bring Takashi freezer food." The older woman responded before Shiro could. In her hands was a stack of small Tupperwares. Shiro immediately took the load off her hands.

"I told you to call me if you're gonna carry stuff up the stairs, mom." He set down what he smelled to be fresh pot stickers on the kitchen counter. "You can really hurt your back, you know?"

"Takashi, where is your shirt? You walk around like that in the presence of a lady? This is not how I raised you!" She raised a hand to swat at her son, who looked properly embarrassed, before she remembered the guest. "I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Takashi's mother. I swear we’re not always this barbaric. Who are you?"

Allura, who was still digesting the information that A.) she ought to abandon hope in making attendance, and B.) Shiro's name was Takashi. Somehow, she felt shame in not knowing this, after the night she'd spent being ravished by him.  Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to think of a way to respond to Shiro's mom while fervently trying to connect with any telepathic powers she might have in case Shiro was trying to communicate to her the proper answer, because she didn't really think that a "Hello, my name is Allura, and your son picked me up at a local drinking hole last night and we had an all night fuckfest" was an okay answer in  _ any  _ universe.

Shiro seemed to feel her plight. "Mom, this is Allura." In his presently jittery nature, he returned to Allura's side so he could put her hands on her shoulders. "My girlfriend."

Only a shaky smile broke out into Allura's expression, her shock well-reigned in as she felt Shiro's fingers tighten marginally on her tense shoulders. "Ah, haha... Yes. Allura. His girlfriend."

"Oh! I didn’t know he was dating anyone. Takashi, you should have told me. Allura, dear, you have such a beautiful accent. And you're so pretty, like an actress! Where did you meet Takashi?"

"I, uh.... School?"

"Oh, do you have the same major?"

_ I don't even know which university your son studies at, ma'am. _ "No, probably not." Allura wanted to kick herself.  _ Probably not? _ "I mean to say, I'm studying Political Science and International Studies."

Shiro might have sensed the quiet hysteria in her voice. "That's right. So it's very different from  _ Aeronautics _ , right, babe?."

Allura stored that information away in case she'd ever need it again. "Yes, sure, ...darling."

"Oh, you two. You look like a couple of movie stars standing there. Takashi, you really should have told me that you were dating such a smart lady." Shiro's mom was approaching, and Allura felt like Shiro was using her as a physical shield. "Allura, would you like to come to dinner tonight? It's Takashi's cousin's birthday, and we prepared a little something for him. It would be great for the family to get to know you."

Allura stared dumbfounded. Yet again, the proper response eluded her. "I--"

"She would love to, mom!" Shiro answered for her. "Now, don't you have to buy Keith's present? There's a new antique store beside the candle shop downtown, maybe you'll find something there?" Now, Shiro's hands were around his mother as he guided her back out. 

"But I was going to check your freezer, if you had enough food. You know, you're looking a bit gaunt. Are you taking your--"

"Yeah, mom, taken three times a day with meals, I promise. And you can give me more food tonight when I come over, right?" Shiro felt like a heathen hurrying his precious mother out the door, but he was at the peak of stress. He had never been a good liar. Especially not to his sweet mother. "I'll see you later, okay? I have to get Allura to class. I love you! No more carrying stuff up these stairs. The doctor said it’s bad for your back. Call me when you get home, mom."

Shiro's mom pulled the door open herself. "All right, I can get a hint. Allura, it was nice meeting you! I'll see you tonight." She and Shiro exchanged a few words in Japanese. 

And just like that, she was gone. Allura stared at the flush that was somehow spreading at the back of Shiro's neck.

"Okay. So I'm definitely not making it to class now."

Shiro turned back to face her. "I'm really sorry. I didn't know she was going to come over today."

"Don't be sorry to me. You're the one who's gonna have to come up with an excuse why your girlfriend isn't ever coming to dinner. Because you don't have one. Not in me, at least."

“Aw, come on--”

“Just tell her we broke up, or something. I’m not fake dating you.”

Ah, he was afraid she would say that. "Can you give me two minutes to get dressed? I'll walk you back to campus."

"Okay, but you're not going to convince me to be your fake girlfriend, so save your breath."

* * *

She really hated having to eat her words.

After the promised two minutes, Shiro was accompanying her back to campus, forgoing the bus after he offered to pay for coffee and breakfast until her next lecture in two and a half hours. He’d waited until they got a table at a cafe in the campus, after giving their orders and after the waiter came with their food, to start begging very, very desperately.

“Please, please, please, tell me you’ll come. It’s just one night. I’ll do  _ anything _ . My family is generally easy-going, they’re not gonna hound you with lots of awkward questions. I mean, they’re Asian, so you’ll probably get the random marriage questions, but it’s only kinda funny. No, don’t roll your eyes. I was kidding. Please, just do this one thing. I’ll never bother you again. It’s just that my mom is really traditional, and I know she was probably very disappointed when she saw us this morning, because it was kind of clear, what we’d been doing. Your hair really was a mess, but it’s gorgeous. Anyway, she’s traditional. It would have broken her heart if she knew that I slept with someone I hardly knew. She just wants to see me happy and settled down. Please? Just play act this one night, and spare a sweet, loving woman the pain of knowing that her only son is living a debauched lifestyle. Wait, you’ll do it? Seriously? Allura, I could kiss you.”

He spoke so fast, it was hard for Allura to get a word in, until she found herself falling, just a little bit, for the way he pleaded just to keep his mother happy. And as someone who missed her own mother dearly, how could she say no to such a concept?

“Tell me one thing. What did she say, just before she left? The part in Japanese.”

“Oh.” At this, a blush spread over Shiro’s nose, over the scar that crossed the bridge of his nose. “She, uh, said that your eyes looked kind, and that she hoped I was treating you well.”

A damnable emotion chased Allura’s heartbeat to a gallop. “I very well can’t back down now, can I?”

* * *

They spent the rest of her missed class exchanging information they thought was vital for a meet the parent scenario. Allura kept things basic on her end, summing up the technicalities of her diplomat’s dependent visa, her father’s work, her double major, information one could find on her driver’s license, her schedules. Shiro, on the other hand, gave her information that didn’t seem all that important, considering their limited time to exchange  enough details to convince his mother that they hadn’t just hooked up some seven hours ago.

He talked about his cactus collection, all eight varieties of them, and how he was waiting for one’s first flower to bloom. He told her about his uncle Kolivan, who paid for his tuition and encouraged his love of space. He listed off family members he expected at dinner, stuff that his mom liked, stuff that his cousin liked, his cousin’s new dog… Allura tried to hurry him along to the vital details.

“I study Aeronautics. I’m graduating next semester. I’m twenty-three. Full name Takashi Shirogane, but everyone calls me Shiro. My dad died when I was thirteen, so it’s just me and my mom.”

Allura felt her heart drop. “I’m sorry. My mother died when I was young, as well.” Perhaps unconsciously, her hand sought his across the small table between them.

“Thanks. I’m sorry about your mom, too.” His hand squeezed hers. “And listen, if you don’t know the answer to some of their questions, or find that you can’t relate, you can just say we only started dating a couple weeks ago. They won’t expect you to answer Shiro Jeopardy, and it’ll save me from making a fool of myself, too.”

Sensing that he was trying to change the topic, Allura went with it. “Yes, that sounds fine.”

“Perfect. So I can pick you up before seven?”

* * *

She thought he’d have a car. It seemed like the normal thing around campus, to have a secondhand car that was enough to get the owner from point A to point B. Allura herself drove a 2009 Accord, but Shiro’s means of transportation turned out to be a motorcycle. He sat outside her building, holding a spare helmet in his hands as an offering. He already wore his, but she could see the black forelocks peeking through his visor.

“Please tell me you’re just posing with that bike.” Allura said, even though she took the helmet.

“‘Fraid not. My name’s on the papers, and all. Are you scared?”

“Should I be? I’ve never ridden before.” She put the helmet on, fastening the strap under her chin.

Shiro pat the seat beside him. In a flowy dress, it was a bit tricky to mount the motorcycle, but Allura managed. She tucked the skirt under her legs to avoid it from flying when Shiro sped off. 

“All set?” When Allura voiced her confirmation, Shiro took her arms and wrapped it around his waist. “You know, my fake girlfriend is allowed to touch me.”

Allura was thankful that Shiro’s back was to her, so he couldn’t see her blush. “I seem to recall you asking me to stop doing just that when you were too sensitive last night, Mister Two Minutes.”

Shiro laughed as he kicked to get the motorcycle to stand. “Don’t try to embarrass the driver of a screaming death machine, Allura.” He revved the engine, once. “Good to go?”

“Yes.”

Shiro backed out of the driveway slowly, then sped out as soon as they were clear. It was a day of feeling her heart sink to the pit of her belly. Allura’s grip tightened around Shiro’s stomach as exhilaration overtook her. 

The trip took some ten minutes, and by the end of it, Allura was weak-legged as she dismounted. “That was amazing, Shiro. It’s kind of like riding a roller coaster, isn’t it? But horizontally.”

Shiro turned the engine off and parked near a bush. He removed his helmet and got off. “I’ll be happy to give you rides on it.”

“For sure. That was the most fun I’ve had in awhile. But come, now, let’s go inside before I lose my nerve. I can meet your family while my adrenaline’s still up. I’ll be babbling. It’ll be funny.”

“Hold on,” Shiro tugged her back by the hand, before reaching up to unbuckle her helmet strap and take it off. He hooked it on a handlebar, then smoothed some of her hair down. “Perfect.  _ Now _ we can go inside.” Shiro took her limp hand, as if to guide her to the door.

Allura told her heart it was getting ridiculous to still be so excitable at this point. The man had already ruined her guts the previous night. Surely, a simple, kind gesture shouldn’t make her pulse beat so loud?

Not a minute after he knocked, a boy answered the door. He smiled at Shiro, then took his time staring at Allura. “Who is this?”

“Let’s work on your door answering etiquette later, dude. Mom didn’t tell you I was bringing Allura?” Shiro grimaced as he gently pushed past Keith, who didn’t move from the mouth of the door. Allura followed inside, meekly.

“She said you were bringing your  _ girlfriend _ .” Keith said with a snicker.

“Well, yeah.” Before keith could make anymore comments, Shiro pressed on. “We’re gonna go look for mom, first. I’ll give you your present in a bit. Happy birthday, Keith.” He said before dragging Allura towards the backyard.

“Happy birthday!” Allura called out.

“Keep walking. He’s kinda nosy.” Shiro whispered.

* * *

Mrs Shirogane wore a bigger, less reserved smile when she saw Allura and Shiro come towards the grill where she had proteins grilling.

“Allura, you made it!” Instead of kissing cheeks like Allura expected, Mrs Shirogane pulled her into a hearty hug. Behind her, she could feel Mrs Shirogane reach out a hand for her son. “I wasn’t sure you would. Takashi never really brings his dates home. I think it's because he thinks I’ll hound them to death.”

Allura wondered why, but decided not to ask.

“Come on, mom. Don’t go scaring Allura off.” 

When the older woman eased off, Allura gave her a weak smile. “The food smells good, Mrs Shirogane. Is there anything I can help with?” Not that she knew anything about cooking. 

“Nonsense! I’m just about to bring this inside, anyway. Why don’t you two go ahead inside and call everyone to the table?”

* * *

The food was served and to Allura, who still had a hard time managing her finances and had been living off instant noodles for about two weeks now after spending half of this month’s allowance on one pair of earrings, it felt like eating the finest of cuisines. 

Joining them at the dinner table was Keith, the birthday boy, his mother, Krolia. Apparently, Krolia’s husband couldn’t join them, as he had a shift at the fire station. Allura wondered if this bothered Keith, but he’d looked so proud when he told everyone that his step father didn’t forget to get him a good gift before his shift began.

The laughter from a joke Allura made was just dying down, when Shiro had a tiny moment to think that he wouldn’t mind doing this every week: bringing this smart, pretty girl home to make his mom laugh.

“Ah, Takashi. You brought home such a funny lady. I have to admit, I underestimated you for a while,” his mother teased.

Shiro almost choked on a potato when he tried to chuckle and swallow his food at the same time. “Come on, mom. Stop dragging me in front of the guests.” 

"You haven't exactly chosen good partners, sweetie. I'm glad you found someone decent enough to stand by you through your disease."

Shiro's fork clattered on his plate. "Mom!" The world seemed to stop, and Shiro felt his head spin. His airways felt needle thin, and the pounding of blood rang in his ears. He couldn’t turn to look at Allura, didn’t dare to see what the look on her face would be. 

A gloom descended on the table, changing the light-hearted ambiance from just seconds ago.

"Disease?" Allura parroted, her head swerving to face Shiro so fast, she felt whiplash. 

"What did I say?" Shiro's mother asked.

"Allura doesn't know." He almost said,  _ the relationship is still new, _ but God, what relationship would he be talking about, exactly? He didn't even know her last name, and she only knew him by his. It was a fucking joke. All to spare his mother the heartbreak. And now, as he looked at his mother's crumbling expression, he thought that he couldn't even do that. The thought made him laugh humorlessly.

Shiro pushed off the table. "I'm going to, uh. Check my cactus." And without making eye contact with anyone in the table, he took to the stairs. The click of his childhood bedroom shutting gently, followed shortly.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean--" Allura began suddenly. An embarrassed blush sat high on her cheeks.

Keith was the first one among the family to speak. "'S not your fault. He didn't tell his last boyfriend until after 8 months. Of course you wouldn't know." He seemed to ponder his words, for a little while, before adding, "No offense."

"It's hard for him to say. He thinks it makes people see him differently, and he hates that. He has Becker's. It's a muscle disease that affects the quality of life quite a bit." Krolia said, a defeated look on her face. She reached for her sister-in-law's hand and squeezed it. "What happened was not your fault." Krolia told her, firmly.

Mrs Shirogane nodded, her face blank as she stared at the plate ahead of her.  

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Allura. We all thought you knew." 

"It hasn't come up yet, that's all." Allura tried a small smile, but it felt forced. What she heard still didn't sit well in her stomach, but it simmered there the way an abundance of pity only could. "If it makes a difference, I am not at all deterred by his disease."

The smile that tugged at Mrs Shirogane’s lips was weak, and her eyes watered. Allura didn’t think she’d ever seen someone on the edge of breaking down, not even at her own mother’s funeral, inspecting her father’s face for any tamped down grief. “Thank you, dear.”

* * *

Allura only knocked on Shiro’s door as a courtesy, but let herself in anyway. She still found it odd, that some American bedrooms did not have locks, but that was a thought for another day. She saw Shiro just coming out of his bathroom, his face freshly washed, his eyes swollen. The small ceramic cups of various cactus on his windowsill looked well tended.

“You could have told me,” was the first thing Allura said. It didn’t sound like an accusation.

Shiro rubbed his towel over his jaw. “Sorry. We barely knew each other. I didn’t think it was first date material.” 

Allura stepped up to him. “Then take me out on a second date. A real one, this time. And we won’t spend it planning any mischief.”

Shiro stared at her for a long time, like he was waiting for a punchline. “I don’t think you’re the type to insult me with a pity date, so I won’t take it that way. Instead I’ll ask, why you’d want to do that. Who would date me for real, after hearing all of that? I’ll probably be dead in a few decades. Maybe less.” He walked past Allura to sit on the childhood bed that was dwarfed by his stature. “I’m just saying, don’t waste your time.”

She’d never been put in a situation such as this so she had no idea what the appropriate thing to say was. It all sounded so absurd to her. And admittedly, just a little insulting. Did Shiro think so little of her? 

For a while, Allura said nothing. She grew up never having to question what was on her mind, but right now, she felt that she was treading a fine rope. At the moment, it was easy to feel how incredibly sheltered she had been. “I don’t know who or what made you think that way, and I’m sorry that you do. But if you give me a chance, I’d like to change your mind.”

When Shiro saw the hurt look that crossed over her face, he almost took back everything that had spilled from his mouth like vomit. He hadn’t meant to sound so morose. He never usually did. “Sorry. I guess I didn’t know how to deal with being outed like that.” His sigh was weary. ”My ex-boyfriend found out when I was hospitalized for a bad flare up. He saw me all bruised up with all this equipment attached to me, and it scared him. He was hurt that I kept it a secret from him. He was so good to me, but in the end, things didn’t work out. I guess I want to have control over how people find out about this condition. I was going to be better at disclosing it, in my defense. Though I didn’t imagine I’d have to ‘fess up in less than 24 hours of meeting you.”

Allura laughed and joined him on the bed. For the second time that day, as he craved comfort he never thought he’d need, Shiro held her hand and felt the warmth of her palm. “I was trying really hard to impress you so that the next time you met my mother, we wouldn’t be lying. I know this is not a super awesome time, but I’d like to date you. For real. Muscle Dystrophy, and all.” 

“Then, full disclosure, I find you very impressive. And I’d love to go on more dates.” She hoped her smile wasn’t as goofy as she felt inside. “You don’t have to tell me everything immediately, but tell me. You can take things at your own time.”

“Do  _ you _ have any skeletons in the closet you want to disclose before a more appropriate time? In the interest of going into things on even footing?” Shiro joked.

“Nothing scandalous, though I did just see, for the first time, how cows get milked, and let’s just say I haven’t had milk in 7 months.”

“I  _ did _ find it weird when you took your coffee black and looked like you wanted to throw it back up.” Shiro leaned his head on the side of Allura’s, the scent of citrusy shampoo wafting in his face. “Allura, thank you. You’re taking this surprisingly well.”

Allura hummed in agreement. “My therapist called me well-adjusted. And I like you. It’s not hard to be understanding.”

“Don’t you think things are happening too fast and out of order? You don’t get to tell many people that a guy you randomly went home with introduced you to his mother in the morning as his girlfriend, met the rest of his family for dinner, then find out about a secret medical condition.”

“I wouldn’t call the night perfect, but I love where we ended up.”

Shiro took their joined hands so he could press his lips to the back of her palm. The progression of events left a lot to be desired, for sure, but Shiro had to agree. He loved where they ended up.

**Author's Note:**

> im @m1rajens on twit


End file.
